Advertising and other air-ship.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

7 J. G. BURNELL. ADVERTISING AND OTHER AIR SHIP.

' PPLIOATION ED JUNEI 19o 0 ft l1) 6 96M ys,

JOHN G; BURNELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINoIs.

AnvER'rI'sme Am) OTHER AIR-SHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed June 13, 1907. Serial Nb. 878,828.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BURNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising and other Air-Sh1ps, of which the following is a specificat'ion. I

It has been customary for a long time to display advertisements by means of kites adapted to be sailed above the ground, to the string or line of which the ad'vertisementis ordinarily attached. Inflated balloons or air ships have also been used for a similar purpose, and securedby means of cords or ines similar to those em loyed in flying kites. As is well understood, t e tendenc of a kite, by reason of the-angle at which it is suspended, is to rise under the im etus of a strong Wind, so that the angle 0 the line or cord with the ground will more nearly a 'proach the per endicular. With regard-to alloons or air s 'p s, secured by a line or cord, the reverse is true, and the stronger the wind the greater will be the tendency to fall, so that the line will, more nearly approach the horizontaL, I,

The olqect of the present invention is to provide p anes or wings, so securedand adusted to the balloon or air ship that this tendency to fall will be counteracted and a position of equilibrium established. y

' The present invention is, in effect, a combination of a kite and airship, and has the distinct advantage of being able to soar, eitherin a'calm'or in a wind, so that its field of usefulness will be greatly increased,wherebyit will be enabled to serve as an advertise ing device, under many conditions which preclude the use ofkites for that pur ose.

,The invention consists in the eaturesv of constructionand combination of parts here inafte'r described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire device, showing one form of construction; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the frame of another form of construction; and Fig. 3 a perspective view of a third. modification. v

The air ship'comprises a balloonor bag 3, of horizontal elongated formation, which balloon or bag is secured to a frame 4, by means ofaggietwork of cables 5, or in any other suitable manner. The frame of-Fig, 1

' comprises upper side rails 6, which embrace the sides of the plane body, lower side rails 7 diagonally disposed liftin I which lie below the plane body, and front and rear cross rails 8 and 9, respectively. The frame also comprises front and rear 11 rights 10 and 11, respectively, which incluc ie the ends of the upper and lower side rails;

and, in order to secure rigidity, diagonal braces 12 and 13 are em loyed. To one of the brace rails, on each si e, is secured a wing or lane 14, which is set in dia onal relation wit respect to the elongated ba loon or body, rising from rear to front and ada ted to receive the impetus of the wind an cause they balloon to rise. In addition to the diagonal side planes 14, the frame has secured thereto,

immediately below the frame, a pair of triangular open end boxes 15, of the well known Conynek1te formation, which serve to steady the air ship and keep it more nearly in hOIlzontal position.

The articular sha e of the steadying planes, owever, can 0 changed, more or ess, without departing from the spirit or obj ect of the invention. In Fig. 2, in place of a somewhat complicated frame heretofore described, is employed a rectangular 'frame, comprising single side rails 16, to which the balloon body is secured, and connecting end rails 17. To the sides of the frame are secured outwardly extending steadying wings 1 and depending from the frame-is a lifting p ane 19, set at substantially the same angle as the wings or planes 14, in the first escribed construction,

plane 19 is the same function as that of t e diagonally disposed wings or planes 14, and the function of the horizontal steadying wings 18 is substan-.

tially the same function as t at of the triangular boxes of the first descrlbed construction.

. It is apparent, furthermore, thatthe liftm win s or planes might be secured at points ot er than those heretofore described,

and at the same time perform the intendedfunction of counteracting -the tendency of the wing to depress the balloon. Fig 3 shows another method of attaching the 1fting plane. In Fig. 3 thelifting plane 20 is secured to the upper side of the frame rather than to. the lower side as. in Fig. 2, and the lane itself isiof concavo-convex formation, its forward edge being elevated considerably above its rear edge, which latter is attached to the frame. In this form'of construction, the curved formation of the prime servesto bring the point of the greatest ting impetus The function of the immediately forward of the rear edge, at

- to the velocity of the wind.

whichpoint the angle of the elevation of the plane, with respect to the frame, is greatest. The balloon of any one of the several forms is supported by means of a main cord or line 21, secured to the forward end of the air ship, and an adjusting cord or line 22, secured near the rear end of the air ship, which ad'usting cord permits the elevation of the balfoon or gas bag to be regulated, more or less, depending upon the velocity of the wind and other wind conditions.

In use, on a calm day, the tendency of the air ship will be to rise directly from the ground, and in these circumstances the aerolanes perform no function whatever. If, owever, a wind should rise, the method of securing the lines to the air ship will hold the latter pointed into the wind, by reason of its elongated formation. The wind pressure on the gas bag, however, will tend to force the line down and decrease the angle of elevation, and this tendency will be proportionate' his tendency to fall, however, will be counteracted by the action of the lifting planes or wings, which, by reason of the angle at which, they are set, will exert a tendency to raise the air ship, which will be roportionate to the velocity of the wind, and these two forces, the balloon force and the kite force, acting in opposition to each other, will hold'the air ship in substantial equilibrium.

In the constructionofFig. 1,.the triangular boxes tend to hold the gas bag' in level position and allow the wind to rush through the boxes, but as soon as the air ship moves from its horizontal position the wind, striking upon the sides of the boxes, will exert a ressure tending to force the air ship back into a steady horizontal position. The steadying planes cooperate with the lifting 'planes in enabling the ship to rise against the strength of the wind without pitching or rolling to an injurious extent. The steadying Wings of Fig. 2 of course act in the same way as the box of Fig. 1, being normally held in edgewise relation to the wind, and increasing the pressure as soon as they are thrown out of normal position. These steadying devices, in combination with the adjusting ines, permit the ship to be flown under substantially all weather conditions, which adapts the device particularly for advertising purposes. I

'W at I regard as new and deslre to secure by Letters Patent is:

. 1. In an air ship of the class described the combination of an. elongated cigar shaped gas bag, a frame extending in parallel relation with respect to and beneath the "gas bag "the to the forward end of the frame, a diagonally dis osed lifting plane, secured to the frame an adapted to counteract the tendency of the gas bag to fall under wind pressure, and a steadying plane extending parallel with the axis of the gas bag and secured to the frame and normally held in edgewise relation with res ect to the wind, substantially as described 3. In an air ship of the class described, the combination of an elongated cigar shaped gas bag, a longitudinally extending frame to which the gas ha is secured, a line secured to the forward en of the frame, a diagonally dis osed lifting plane, secured to the frame an ada ted to counteract the tendency of stea ing plane, secured to the-frame and extending parallel with the axis of the, gas bag;and normally held in edgewise relation with respect to the wind, and an adjusting line secured to the rear end of the frame, substantially as described; r

4. In an air ship of the class described, the combination of an elongated gas bag, a frame to which the gas bag is secured, a air of diagonally disposed outwardly exten ing lifting planes, set' at an angle, with respect to the horizontal axis of the gas bag, a pair of triangular boxes, secured to the lower side of the frame and forming, in efiect, steadying planes, and a line secured at the forward end of the frame, substantially as described. 5. In an air ship of the class described, the

combination of an elongated gas bag, a

Wer side 

